Chamblee, Georgia: Home Grown Industries and the New Faces of the Entrepreneurs

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Wilkins, Joy

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2008-08-27T00:21:43Z

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2008-08-27T00:21:43Z

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2000-08

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http://hdl.handle.net/1853/24321

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When Kodak and other Fortune 500 companies closed their plants in Chamblee,
Georgia, it devastated the small city's economy. Chamblee began a process of
"asset-based community development," but fell short of identifying its
competitive advantage. The 1990 Census, however, revealed a unique asset - the
large presence of hard-working, entrepreneurial immigrants and refugees. Nearly
half of the residents in Chamblee were born outside of the United States.
The city's leadership began to galvanize towards pursuing international
development strategies, corresponding with the ensuing 1996 Centennial Olympic
Games and the general observation that Chamblee was becoming more
international in character. In 1994, Chamblee created two districts -- the Central
Business District and the International Village. The Central Business District was
formed to support and protect the city's historic town center while promoting the
nationally recognized “Antique Row.” Chamblee created the International
Village, a special redevelopment district surrounding its existing cluster of
ethnically oriented businesses, to allow a mix of residential and commercial
development within one zone.
Through the establishment of the village and related services, Chamblee has
reinvented itself by successfully supporting new and existing entrepreneurs while,
at the same time, creating a desirable place to live for individuals of diverse ethnic
backgrounds.

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Georgia Institute of Technology

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entrepreneurship

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international development

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community development

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economic development

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revitalization

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Chamblee, Georgia: Home Grown Industries and the New Faces of the Entrepreneurs